


Unnecessary Measures

by Themaidsdiaries



Category: Chernobyl (TV 2019)
Genre: Decontamination Showers, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Naked People, No Sex, Unbeta'ed, awkward sexy situation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-01
Updated: 2019-08-01
Packaged: 2020-06-02 04:59:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19434424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Themaidsdiaries/pseuds/Themaidsdiaries
Summary: That time when the government send them useless decontamination showers.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> English is not my first language, forgive my typos and grammar mistakes (or bad word choices).

April 29 dawned a sunny day of blue sky and few clouds. Depending on where people looked at everything might seemed normal, if it were not for that strange smell, if it were not for the black smoke that kept rising from Chernobyl.

The people who lived in Pripyat had been evacuated and there were only the men working at the disaster site. The men and Ulana Khomyuk.

It was mid-afternoon, and Valery Legasov was studying the plants, the water slowly flowing out from the tanks, and little by little the risk of a new explosion diminished, but Chernobyl's problem was far from being solved. Although there was no shortage of men, the necessary equipment was lacking, and the inability to keep those men save was annoying. He had never felt so powerless in his entire life.

"Do not you agree, Comrade Legasov?" Shcherbina's question had taken him by surprise.

What he was talking about? Valery could not tell, so he gave him a confused look. He was focused on the work at hand.

Legasov rests his body lean back in the chair and pay attention to the man. "I'm sorry, I was not paying attention. What did you say?"

"Khomyuk!" Boris said in a conspiratorial tone, glancing out the window where they could see her standing in the middle of the yard with her back to them, the sun shinning over her head. "She has a fine ass, don’t you agree?"

Shcherbina was in a good mood. Any small victory was enough to cheer him up, at that moment in his break, distracted with a glass of vodka and a cigarette dangling from his lips, he stared through the window.

Comments emerged here and there among small groups of men, it was common, Ulana Khomuyk was the only woman among them and ended up attracting more than one look whenever she left the trailer to check something or collect data for the calculations. Legasov had already heard one or two such comments, but was surprised at Shcherbina commenting on her, especially by doing it with him.

Boris turned to him for an answer. "So? Do you agree or not?" He insisted, raising his eyebrows to emphasize the question.

Valery gave him a sharp look, a heat rising on his neck. But before Boris notices the redness they turn their attention to the window. Not that he needed to look at her to answer. That he needed to look _again_ to answer, but if he didn’t then Boris would know he had looked at her ass before.

Together they analyze it and as if feeling their scrutiny, Khomuyk casts a suspicious look at the trailer from over her shoulder. Her right hand protects the eyes from the sun. They turn back quickly to the table, Shcherbina laughs down like a mischievous boy waiting for an answer.

"I agree." Valery finally responds, reluctantly, turning his attention back to the his work.

"I knew it!"

As the door opens and a soft breeze of spring comes charged with radiation, Khomuyk enters the trailer. Shcherbina is no longer laughing, but watches the professor closely with amusement.

___

They get along well, Legasov and Khomuyk. They have technical knowledge, logical thinking, and good plans, which made the job easier. They debated the issues broadly while Shcherbina watched leaning back in his chair in the corner of the room with a cigarette always hanging between his fingers and a bottle within reach of his hands.

So when the decontamination showers are set up for use by graduate personnel, which included them, Legasov and Khomyuk agreed that the measure was completely useless. The radiation had reached the west countries at that time. What would those showers do for them? Nothing but create embarrassing situations.

"I'm sorry, the orders are that we should use the showers, so we'll use the damn showers." Shcherbina finally said after hearing them argue the futility of the measure. 

They watched the showers being installed and the absurdity of the situation was so much a precedent that it would be comical if it were not tragic. Legasov smoked at trailer’s door as Khomuyk watched from the steps with her arms folded over her chest. Among the new orders they now wore uniforms instead of their own clothes. As if no one was to wash those contaminated uniforms, as if their clothes were not to be contaminated when they arrived or left the site.

Valery could feel the tension in her shoulders and the way she shifted her weight from foot to foot constantly. She was obviously uncomfortable with this new arrangement, and he didn’t expect anything else, he did not think that being naked in front of other men would be pleasant for him, so he tried to imagine what was going on in her mind. 

A soft sigh escapes from her lips and she turns her face toward him. Valery observes the way the wind shakes her hair, making them curl into a gentle dance, but pushes those thoughts away before they can move any further.

"I know this is an unpleasant situation, but could you help me with that?" She points her chin at the new facility and gives him a serious look. "Of course I would help you too." 

He grunts something inaudibly taking a gulp, looking away from her, and watches the men at work again. Heat rises up his neck again. It had been a long time since he had felt so uncomfortable with someone or so obviously attracted. "Sure."

Before she asks anything else, he turns on his heel and returns to work.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Discord server is a golden mine and some of it came from there. <3
> 
> English is not my first language, but you already know that.

When the shift ends, ordinary men leave the site without going through the showers, those in political positions and the patent military line up. Some look at the trailer where the three crowd into space.

Khomuyk continues to work oblivious to the curious looks, but Valery cannot help it and throws reproachful looks every five minutes at the men outside. What are they waiting for anyway? A fucking show? This amuses Shcherbina, who smiles a little, but makes no comment, until the line is almost extinguished. It is at this moment that he gives Valery a questioning look, but he pretends not to see.

Boris's cigarette is pressed against the ashtray and the feet of the chair scratch the floor with a loud noise as he gets up and leaves without saying anything.

Something very close to "Lucky bastard ..." is mumbled purposely loudly by Boris when he walks toward the showers, as if this was not an embarrassing situation.

"You men, always thinking with the wrong head ..." The tone of disdain in her voice surprises him.

Khomyuk had dropped her pen and collected her notes in an orderly pile, clearly ending the day.

"If you did not notice I'm a man." Valery looks over his glasses. "And yet you asked for my help."

"It's not like I have too many options around here, don’t you think?" She leans over the table, picks up the bottle of vodka, pours a dose to herself, and throws a questioning glance at him before serving a dose to him when he nods in agreement. "Or do you think I should have asked Shcherbina?" 

Valery moves uncomfortably in the chair. Imagining her asking for help for Boris bothered him in a way he did not expect. Imagine Boris helping her in the shower, his hands on her... His throat was suddenly dry.

"You're not the type of men that kiss and tell, and I guess wouldn’t have to worry about more comments about my back side than the ones that are already out there," She said practically, as if commenting on the weather. "Or my front one." 

What had he gotten himself into?

\---

The walk to the shower was silent. The way they strip down their scrubs is also silent, looking at opposite directions and keeping distance. There are soaps and rough sponges individually packaged in boxes and each one catches one for themselves. 

Valery avoids look at her and tries to keep her out of his peripheral vision despite knowing that at some point he will have to look at her, at least for some parts of her. 

What was he thinking to accept help? He was going to end up making a fool of himself or worse in front of her and that could jeopardize their friendship, he was sure. Valery tried to keep calm and think about sad things, but he felt extremely aware of their situation, and especially of their nakedness

They walk into the showers, letting the water fall on them. The water is at least lukewarm, and he closes his eyes as he feels the spray on his face. Maybe, he thinks, it was better if the water were cold. It is at this moment that Ulana catches him totally by surprise.

"This is ridiculous." She says with a laugh.

Her steps make the water splash a little and he knows from the noise that she is moving. He tenses up.

Valery pushes his face a little further from the water and clears his ears. The stream of lukewarm water concentrates in his chest and forms an ever-growing pool on his feet.

"What exactly? Have to go through this process or the situation?" He asks without turning in her direction.

"Both." Ulana's voice still has a touch of laughter, he knows she has a smile on her lips. He doesn’t have to turn in her direction to know. "Valery look at me." 

"I do not think that's a good idea." 

"I'm looking at your dimples right now. Look at me." Her tone is practical and direct, as always.

It is tempting to turn around and look at her, kiss his curiosity and be carried away by the moment, to absorb the image of her in all hers, he believes, splendor. But then what? How to deal with the situation? Valery could not trust himself, not with her. The temptation was too much. 

Instead of turning, he raised his hands with the soap and the sponge. "Since you're looking, you better get started."

There is a moment of anticipation as she gets closer to him and when he feels her closeness. As a teenager he holds his breath. Then, Ulana takes the soap and the sponge from his hand and begins at his shoulders, making enough friction for the soap to create a dense unscented layer on his skin. She is careful and methodical in everything she does, even if the task is wash his back. A faint blaze takes his skin in the area she scrubs on his shoulders and she falls into a task-focused silence.

Valery feels his shoulders relax a little and tilts his head forward, eyes closed. Her right hand climbs up the back of his neck and her thumb rubs the tense muscles of his neck. The sensation is relaxing, and he squeezes his lips together not to let out a sigh of relief.

Relief turns into something else very quick and when the sensation of heat grows in his chest and elsewhere he opens his eyes and rests with his back straight. _Think of the dogs_ , he tells himself, _think of the firemen, think about the people’s suffering, but do not think about her._

"You know that at some point you're going to have to look at me." Ulana seems to guess his momentary difficulty and the betrayal of his own body. 

"At parts of you." He sounds screechy, anxious, and she obviously notices. _Idiot!_ He scolds himself. _Breathe._

The sponge descends to the middle of his back and down. The whole situation is extremely embarrassing and strangely exciting, there is no thought that’s able to divert his attention from her hands.

"I thought you would not turn this into a big deal." Her tone is more puzzled than anything else. Her left hand goes down the side of his body and once again Valery closes his lips and then looks down at the ceiling in complete desperation. That's too much.

"I'm not. I just want to keep things professional and proper." When he responds the sponge has already left his back and his muscles involuntarily contract as her fingers rub against his skin.

"It seems you're having trouble with that." she says quietly. 

"It's been a long time since I've..." That sounds terribly wrong, regardless of the interpretation she gives. "That is all."

Ulana says nothing, does not change the rhythm and does not hesitate at any moment. Curiosity and a touch of dread take hold of him as he imagines what might be going through her head at that moment.

I did not imagine you could have any difficulty in that." She responds after a while. "Spread your legs a little."

_Shit._ He tries to cover himself, but in that state his attempt is not enough, not quite. Mortified, he hoped that to be over fast, but not only his body betrayed him and he finds himself asking, "You didn’t?"

"No, you're a professor, I've been a student, I know how a professor can attract some students." Again, she's practical with her words.

And he’s astonished. "What?"

"I'm not implying that you're the kind of man who gets involved with your students or something immoral, I just thought..." She alternates between the back of his thighs and the back of his knees. "Well, you certainly attract the attention of women."

"Look at me, Khomyuk. Do I even look like the kind of man who attracts young women?" He should deflect the subject, not encourage her. No, he did not attract women, or at least he believed not to. His time was devoted to classes and to the lab, he never really paid attention and…

"I'm looking, and the answer is yes, definitely," She says and he swallows. "Here." She stretched her arms over his shoulders to give him the soap and the sponge. That forces him to let go of his problem, sort of speak, to hold those things.

"Go forward." He obeys and the jet of water hits the top of his head. When he leans his forward the water slides down his back, but he is forced to take another step forward as she pushes him gently with her hands flat against his shoulder blades.

"I can do this." He tries to object.

;"Don't be daft. You won’t want to have that soap on your skin." Her voice sounds close to his ear.

Her hands slide down his back and again he is taken by that irresistible sensation. What would it be like to turn around? Or pull her close? What would be like if she stepped forward and leaned against him? Her hands sliding to his chest... His toes move frantically against the water pool under his feet.

If she had not noticed, now that she was taking the soap from his legs she knew.

“Finish your front as I do mine. I think you need some time.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was supposed to be the last part but it was getting to long so it will have a third part.
> 
> Thanks for reading.


	3. Chapter 3

With her hands away from him breathing seems easier and he calms himself a little, but the minutes drag on and the situation seems far from over.

At any other time, in any other situation, he would not have thought a second time before say no, but his refusal would have implications for her. There were no other options, or at least that was what he believed.

"I'm done here." He says after a while, when it becomes impossible to continue postponing.

“So am I. Are you fit for it?” Her voice has a slight hint of irony, which he chooses to ignore as he shuts the shower shut. 

"I'm turning." 

And he does, and no speculation, no prior analysis, no comment had come close to the reality of that situation. For him, reality surpassed any of his expectations. Ulana was beautiful. 

He forces himself to take the short steps toward her, water splashing over his feet and Ulana waits, soap and sponge in one hand while the other arm is around her own figure.

The blood flows back to lower areas of his body and Valery is forced to look away and try again to think of anything other thing than her, but when she is within reach of his hands, when he takes the objects from her hand, when he touches her... He loses the battle and accepts the shame.

He wants to touch the delicate skin of her shoulders, wants to brush his lips on it, wants to kiss it, not scratch her with that sponge, but even so he starts to do it, too gently at first and he has to correct the pressure exerted on is movements.

Ulana is quiet for a long moment, arms crossed around her breasts, but visibly aware of his movements and after a long silence she finally asks. “Are you attracted to me or that's just a male reaction to this whole situation?”

Valery wondered how to answer the question. No answer seems to be sufficiently original, true or proper, and Ulana interprets her silence in the obvious, literal and harshly true way.

“You're attracted to me.” He can hear, if that is possible, the smile in her voice. 

“I thought you asked for my help because you trusted me.” Valery tries to be quick and efficient, and in his anxiety ends his fingers brush against her skin constantly. It is extremely agonizing and unsettling. Ulana sighs and tilts her head to the side as his hand goes down her back. He can't help the fantasy of approaching her and placing his mouth against her neck, feeling her pulse against his lips, nibbling that sensitive skin... _Shit! FOCUS!_

“And I do, Valery. I trust you enough to let me see me naked. But one thing does not necessarily invalidate the other. ” 

“So you're saying that you trust me despite the fact that I'm attracted to you?” He asks in a surprisingly steady voice. 

“No, I'm saying that I trust you and that I know you're attracted to me. These are just facts without correlation.” 

But the facts are correlated, at least for him. If she didn't trust him, if her request hadn't arisen from that trust maybe he'd have turned around, maybe he'd be fucking her in that inappropriate place, on the bench, risking getting caught by anyone. And it wouldn't have lasted even five minutes. He thinks with himself.

"That's pretty presumptuous."

“Am I wrong?” Ulana turns her face as she asks and he can see her profile. Her bangs are slightly damp by her forehead though she was obviously trying to avoid getting her hair wet, her face expressionless, her lips parted, her eyes searching for his.

Valery stares at her for a moment. “Why does it matter?” Ulana blinks and turns her face forward again.

“Why is it so hard for you to admit?” Does she sound… frustrated? No, it's his impression.  
"I thought we were being practical about this," he says, arching an eyebrow. After all, wasn't all that effort to maintain the practicality of the situation and the previously established trust?

The curve of her hips… Valery wished he could dive down the drain and disappear when the sponge hits that area and he notices himself with his eyes closed for a long moment. His movements are continuous and as accurate as possible.

“It's obvious we are trying to, but can't you feel the tension?” Ulana's voice sounds a little shaky and when he opens his eyes he notices her fingertips pressing her sides and her head tilted back.

"Seems to me that the tension it's quite obvious." 

“And you think it's going to fade any time soon?” Her voice sounds incredibly low and hoarsely.

After all he's not the only one having trouble with the situation, he finally notes, but can't comment on it, not in the open way she did. “He is right for the first time and faces two challenges in finally reaching her legs, not placing his flat hand on the side of her thigh, not looking at her point. central.

“Do you honestly think that act on it will end the tension?” He faces two challenges in finally reaching her legs, not placing his flat hand on the side of her thigh, not looking at her central point. _For fucking sake!_

“Why it wouldn’t?” _Because of what may comes next? What if it doesn't work? What if it works just for one of us?_ So many "ifs" that he can't even number them all while rubbing her thighs looking at the water on their feet and ignoring his damn erection.

“We could get distracted because of it.” Valery tries to argue, but knows it's just an excuse. 

“Aren't we already?” She asks. _Of course we are._

“I guess we can say we are.” He admits when he finally reaches her ankles.

Nothing so far had been as torturous as having to rinse the soap off her skin, Valery notes swallowing hard. His touch is gentle, slow, more a caress than anything else. He can't help it and Ulana exhales her breath through her nose. She seems to move subtly, following the movement of his hands.

"So I was right, you're attracted to me." She mumbles

“Khomyuk…” He wants to scold her, look outraged, shocked, but his voice sounds weak.

Valery has not even reached her hips, there is still soap to be rinsed, but Ulana turns before he can stop he and the jet of water, wetting part of her hair stuck, alone continues it’s work, she does not seem to care in the slightest. 

“I'm attracted to you.” Ulana admits with her eyes fixed on his. 

He swallows hard and tries hard not to let his gaze drift down. He prepares to wake up. That's not the kind of thing that happens to him, it's not the way he's used to dealing with sex. And yet he finds himself asking, "What do you propose then?"

“Do I really need to answer this question?” Ulana has a small sly smile on her lips and he is surprised when her hand meets his, her fingers intertwining naturally. 

His heart quickens as she steps forward, it's unreal for a moment, but then it isn't, and yet he can't dare to look down, not yet, not there. 

“It would be good to set some boundaries,” he mumbles absently, sounding incoherent to himself, overwhelmed by the feelings and promises shining in her eyes, and the sense of closeness. Valery touches her face with his other hand and leans toward her. He then knows that it is not just attraction what he feels for her. 

“What about…” Ulana begins when their noses are almost touching and when he comes across that their hands are almost in the valley between her legs. “You and I go back to Polissya and have sex.” Valery touches her temptingly with his fingertips and she bites her bottom lip in the middle of a smile. 

“And if that won't help?” He mumbles, his hand making circular motions between her legs. 

“We do it again.” 

“What if…” He tries to argue one more time, but her hand circles his cock and moves slowly up and down. Valery blinks in surprise with his mouth open, breathing deeply to control himself and not just come.

Ulana gives a small smile full of malice. “If we still get distracted or if the tension builds up again we can keep trying to manage it along the way.” Her hand on the side of his face brings him close, their noses touching for a brief moment. 

Valery feels more encouraged and slides his middle finger into her. "With more sex." He says, moving his hand. Ulana sighs with her mouth almost glued to his and agrees with a slow nod. The sensation of pleasure is too much for him to be able to articulate many other words and his member vibrates in her hand. 

"Basically." She managed to say and then they finally kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it, sorry it take me so long.  
> Any feedback is appreciated.
> 
> Thanks for reading.

**Author's Note:**

> Any feedback is appreciated.  
> Thanks for reading.


End file.
